# US 8,543,243 B2 · System and method of use for a user interface dashboard of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning network

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- Number: US 8,543,243 B2
- Document ID: US8543243B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/603,509
- Filed: 2009-10-21
- Published: 2010-04-29
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2008-10-27
- Assignees: Lennox Industries Inc.
- Applicants: Timothy Wallaert; Timothy H. Thorson; Jacob Jennings
- Inventors: Timothy Wallaert; Timothy H. Thorson; Jacob Jennings
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543243B2

## CPC

- G05D 27/02: characterised by the use of electric means
- G05D 22/02: characterised by the use of electric means
- G05D 23/1904: {variable in time}
- F24F 11/47: Responding to energy costs
- F24F 11/56: Remote control
- F24F 2221/52: Weather protecting means, e.g. against wind, rain or snow
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02)

## Abstract

The disclosure provides systems and methods of use of an HVAC graphical interface dashboard. In various embodiments, the dashboard includes a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen. The dashboard also includes an indoor humidity tab. A programs tab and a home tab are also provided. The dashboard includes at least one downloadable screen saver.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A HVAC graphical interface dashboard, comprising: a display
a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;
an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity;
an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;
a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;
an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;
a programs tab, wherein invoking the programs tab advances to a programs screen which can program at least one of:
a) a time;
b) temperature setpoints;
c) heating/cooling setpoints; and
a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions, wherein the home screen includes an icon for an installer screen and provides access thereto by pressing and holding at least a portion of the installer screen icon for a given time period and then dragging the at least portion across the interface,
and wherein said dashboard includes at least one downloadable screen saver.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The programs tab of claim 1, wherein a reset setting of the program screen can reset to a predetermined setting.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The program screen of claim 2, wherein the predetermined setting is selected from the group consisting of:
a) a factory setting; and
b) a setting set by the installer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The program screen of claim 3, wherein a reset button resets at least one of:
c) a resetting to Celsius or Fahrenheit;
d) a resetting to a twelve or twenty-four hour clock;
e) a resetting to a language; and
a resetting a backlight brightness.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The program screen of claim 4, wherein, upon a selection of the reset button, selections (a-f) are presented, so a user can select at least one item to change.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The home tab of claim 1, further comprising wherein at least one attribute of a presentation of the home screen is selectable by a user.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The home tab of claim 1, wherein an icon of the home screen is presented as an interface to an installer dashboard.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The weather tab of claim 1, wherein local weather information is conveyed to the weather screen from outside of the HVAC.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The dashboard of claim 1, further comprising a zone tab.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The dashboard of claim 1, wherein at least one tab is invocable remotely.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The home tab of claim 1, wherein the icon for the installer screen is a logo with a finger and access to the installer screen is obtained by pressing the finger for the given time period and then dragging the icon across the interface.

### Claim 12

A HVAC system including a graphical interface dashboard and at least one coupled device, comprising:
the dashboard, including:
a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;
an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity, wherein the humidity screen allows users to program different humidity levels for different periods of a day;
an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;
a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;
an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances a user to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;
a programs tab, wherein pressing the programs tab invokes a programs screen which can program at least one of:
i) a time;
ii) temperature setpoints;
iii) heating/cooling setpoints; and
a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances a user to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions; and
the at least one coupled device selected from the group including:
a) an air handler;
b) a furnace;
c) an evaporator coil;
d) a condenser coil; and
e) a compressor;
wherein the at least one coupled device is viewable from at least one of the tabs, and wherein said dashboard includes at least one downloadable screen saver.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The dashboard of claim 12, wherein the indoor humidity tab can further be used to set current indoor humidity setpoints.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The dashboard of claim 12, wherein the help screen displays settings depending upon a screen displayed before the help tab is activated.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The dashboard of claim 12, wherein the help screen allows a user to adjust settings on a screen without saving changes to the settings.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The dashboard of claim 12, wherein, in order to access an installer screen from the home screen, an installer is to press and hold an icon with a finger for a given time period and then drag the finger across the interface.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The dashboard of claim 12, wherein an installer screen is accessible only by entry of a key, wherein the key is entered by an installer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The dashboard of claim 12, wherein the program screen has only one setpoint area that is selectable at one time, and once a setpoint is touched, the area turns an inverse of its current color.

### Claim 19

A HVAC graphical interface dashboard, comprising a display:
a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;
an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity, and wherein the humidity screen allows users to program different humidity levels for different periods of a day;
an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;
a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;
an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;
a programs tab, wherein invoking the programs tab advances to a programs screen which can program at least one of:
a) a time;
b) temperature setpoints;
c) heating/cooling setpoints; and
a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions,
and wherein said dashboard includes at least one downloadable screen saver.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The dashboard of claim 19, wherein the indoor humidity tab can further be used to set current indoor humidity setpoints.